A 35 mm photographic roll film is used in a state in which the film is housed in a film cartridge. This film cartridge is basically made up by a cylindrically-shaped ribbon plate, a spool housed within the ribbon plate, and caps for closing the upper and lower ends of the ribbon plate. On the inner surface of an end of a film pull-out opening of the ribbon plate, there is bonded a velvet ribbon for light shielding.
The method for manufacturing a film cartridge for housing a photographic roll film is now explained. Referring to FIG. 5, for forming the aforementioned ribbon plate for the film cartridge, a metal sheet is cut to a longitudinal size and a transverse size corresponding to the longitudinal size and the transverse size of a developed ribbon plate, forming the so cut metal sheet so that the cross-sectional shape along the long axis of the formed product is in a boat-like shape. To left and right ends of a so formed metal sheet 101 are stuck velvet ribbons 102a, 102b to produce a so-called boat-shaped ribbon plate.
The boat-shaped ribbon plate then is rounded in a cylindrical shape and a cap 103a is clinched to one side end of the rounded ribbon plate to from a so-called “film cartridge opened on its one side end or a one-capped cartridge” (see FIG. 5).
Finally, an assembly comprised of a film of a predetermined length 105 is wound on a spool 104 is inserted from an opening side of the one-capped cartridge, and a cap 103b is clinched to the open side end of the one-capped cartridge to form a so-called [wound film cartridge] which is a film cartridge having a photographic roll film wound thereon (see FIG. 5).
Referring to the drawings, a conventional method and apparatus for manufacturing a film cartridge are now explained.
Referring to FIG. 6, this conventional apparatus 100 includes an index unit 170 rotatable about an rotation axis perpendicular to a substantially horizontal surface and which holds plural assembly chucks 171 at equi-angular intervals about the rotation axis. At preset positions of eight stations, arranged on the circumference of the index unit 170, there are arranged a ribbon plate supplying unit 110, a one-capped cartridge producing unit 120, a inspecting unit 130, a unacceptable product discharging unit 140, an acceptable product discharging unit 150 and a remnant discharging unit 160.
First, the boat-shaped ribbon plate is inserted (supplied) from the ribbon plate supplying unit 110 into an assembly chuck 171 which may be halted in its proximity and which is capable of accepting the ribbon plate (see FIG. 6). As the index unit 170 is run in rotation, the inserted boat-shaped ribbon plate is transported to the one-capped cartridge producing unit 120. In this one-capped cartridge producing unit 120, the boat-shaped ribbon plate is rounded to a cylindrical shape, and a cap, supplied to one end of the rounded ribbon plate, is inserted and subsequently clinched to the ribbon plate to form a one-capped cartridge. As the index unit 170 is run in rotation, the so formed one-capped cartridge is transported to the inspecting unit 130. In this inspecting unit 130, the state of engagement between the cap and the ribbon plate in the one-capped cartridge is monitored to detect whether or not the one-capped cartridge is acceptable. As the index unit 170 is further run in rotation, the one-capped cartridge, detected as described above, is transported to the unacceptable product discharging unit 140. If the one-capped cartridge has been found to be unacceptable in the inspecting unit 130, the unacceptable one-capped cartridge is discharged by the unacceptable product discharging unit 140. If conversely the one-capped cartridge has been found to be acceptable, the one-capped cartridge is not discharged (see FIG. 6). If, as the index unit 170 is further run in rotation, the one-capped cartridge, found as being acceptable, is transported to the acceptable product discharging unit 150, the one-capped cartridge, verified to be acceptable in the inspecting unit 130, is discharged in the acceptable product discharging unit 150 (see FIG. 6). If the index unit 170 further run in rotation, and any product that remained without being discharged by the unacceptable product discharging unit 140 or by the acceptable product discharging unit 150 has been transported to the remnant discharging unit 160, such remnant, present in the assembly chuck in the remnant discharging unit 160, is discharged (see FIG. 6). The index unit 170 is further run in rotation and a boat-shaped ribbon plate is again introduced into the now void assembly chucks 171 to repeat the above-described processing. The operations in the respective process step units are carried out simultaneously such that one one-capped cartridge is completed for each pitch of rotation of the index unit.
The ribbon plate supplying unit is explained in detail. The ribbon plate supplying unit may be sub-divided into a ribbon plate transfer process for transferring a ribbon plate to a stocker (stock unit) from a tray loaded with plural ribbon plates, and a ribbon plate supplying process for supplying the ribbon plates accumulated in the stocker to the index unit.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a ribbon plate transfer process 201 of the ribbon plate supplying unit includes a tray changer 210, a transfer unit 220 and a stocker 230.
The ribbon plate transfer process 201 delivers a tray 204, on which are loaded plural boat-shaped ribbon plates, aligned in an upstanding position thereon, by the tray changer 210 (see FIG. 7). That is, after lifting the second tray from the bottom of a stack of trays, loaded on a tray pull down unit 211, the lowermost tray 204 is moved on a conveyor to a transfer unit 212 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The transfer mechanism 220, including a suction magnet, not shown, enclosed therein, and also including gripper 221, for gripping the boat-shaped ribbon plate 203 with claws, not shown, descends onto the tray 204 on the transfer unit 212 to grip together a pre-set number of the boat-shaped ribbon plates 203 placed on the tray 204 in the upstanding position. The transfer mechanism 220 is then uplifted, as it grips the boat-shaped ribbon plates 203, and then is moved horizontally to a position above the stocker 230 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The bottom surface of the gripper 221 holding the boat-shaped ribbon plates 203 is then tilted, by movement of a rotation mechanism 222, from a horizontal position to the same angle as that of an inclined base 231 of the stocker 230. The boat-shaped ribbon plates 203 are then lowered, in the tilted state, onto the inclined base 231. The gripping of the transfer mechanism 220 is then released. This transfers the set of the boat-shaped ribbon plate 203 in the upstanding and aligned state to the stocker 230 (see FIG. 7). Meanwhile, the tray 204, now emptied, are sent by a conveyor to a tray pile up unit 213. The trays, already existing, are uplifted and the empty tray 204 is inserted in the lowermost tier (see FIGS. 7 and 8).
Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the ribbon plate supply process 202 of the ribbon plate supply unit includes a stocker 230, a suction mechanism 240, a magnet 250 and an assembly chuck 171.
In the ribbon plate supply process 202 of the ribbon plate supply unit, the set of the boat-shaped ribbon plate 203, transferred onto the stocker 230, are slid together by a slide mechanism (stacker weight) towards a lower side, as the boat-shaped ribbon plates 203 are aligned in the upstanding orientation on the inclined base 231, until the boat-shaped ribbon plates 203 are retained by claws, not shown, arranged in a outlet 232 (see FIG. 9). At this time, the boat-shaped ribbon plates 203, accumulated in the aligned state on the stocker 230, are progressively transferred from the upstanding aligned orientation to the horizontal orientation as they move from the inclined base 231 to the outlet 232 (see FIG. 9). The boat-shaped ribbon plate 203, lying in the outlet 232 of the stocker 230, are sucked by a suction mechanism 240, which have been lifted by an uplifting mechanism 242, and are thereby pulled downwards (see FIG. 9). The boat-shaped ribbon plate 203, thus separated from the succeeding boat-shaped ribbon plates 203, is pushed towards right in the drawing, by a claw 261 provided on an swinging member 260, and is thereby taken out, as the boat-shaped ribbon plate 203 remains in the sucked state (see FIG. 9). A baffle board, not shown, is provided at the outlet 232, to prevent two plates from being taken out simultaneously to enable only one plate to be taken out reliably each time. The boat-shaped ribbon plate 203, thus taken out, is transported in the sucked state to a position below the magnet 250 and is lifted by an uplifting mechanism 242. The sucked state is then released to permit the boat-shaped ribbon plate 203 to be retained by the magnet 250 (see FIGS. 9 and 10). The boat-shaped ribbon plate 203, thus retained by the magnet 250, is slid in the next operating cycle by a claw 262 formed on the swinging member 260, so as to be transported to the assembly chucks 171 of the index unit (see FIG. 10).
The film cartridge assembling device also rounds the ribbon plate, formed to a boat shape, to a cylindrical shape, introduces a cap to one side end of the rounded ribbon plate, and clinches the cap to the ribbon plate, to assemble the one-capped cartridge. The film cartridge assembling device includes an assembly chuck for detachably holding the ribbon plate for transporting the ribbon plate to the respective process as the ribbon plate is kept to a predetermined shape.
In a certain conventional assembly chuck, shown in FIG. 18, a ribbon plate 550, bent substantially to a cylindrical shape, is clamped with a support metal 660 from the bottom side of a cylindrical mandrel 630, while a straight portion 551 of the ribbon plate is retained by an adjustment guide 670 adapted for adjusting a film take-out gap between the straight portion 551 of the ribbon plate and a haze portion (folded portion) 552, having a port width 553.
Incidentally, with respect to a method for rounding the boat-shaped ribbon plate to a cylindrical shape, a variety of methods and apparatuses are made up, for example, there is a ribbon plate forming apparatus as shown in FIG. 24 (refer to JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP-A-4-102844).
Referring to FIG. 24(A), in this ribbon plate forming apparatus 800, a boat-shaped ribbon plate 750 is placed astride on a die 801 having half-round-opposed recesses which can be moved from side to side, a support metal 803 cushioned by a spring 802 is arranged in the middle of the die 801, and a mandrel 804 which can move to the support metal 803 is arranged on top of the boat-shaped ribbon plate 750.
Referring to FIG. 24(B) next, when the mandrel 804 moves to the support metal 803 and enters between the recesses of the die 801, the ribbon plate 750 becomes like U-shape.
Referring to FIG. 24(C) further, when the mandrel 804 enters between the recesses of the die 801 completely, the ribbon plate 750 is rounded to a cylindrical shape by moving the mandrel 804 to the support metal 803 and winding up the ribbon plate 750 around the outer surface of the mandrel 804.